Frank Turner got Los Angeles to dance! If you have been to enough shows in LA you know that is a challenge. The Roxy is a lively venue, sure, but getting LA to dance was a great feat.

Hailing from England, Frank and his band have been making their way around the US this year and their shows have been consistently sold out. I talked to a few people at the show and they had seen him before and were like little kids waiting for Santa when the lights went down. I also ran into KROQ's Stryker who was accompanied by some of the other LA dj's and he was there to see what all the buzz was about. The buzz was well earned and with all the live shows I go to I can honestly say that this was one of the shows that reminds me why I love live music. It was a party, great music, a frontman that knows how to work a crowd and a audience that is ready to get into the music.

The morning after the show I got a call from Frank and had a few minutes to talk to him about the show. He said at the show that Boston had been given the honor of having the best dancers in the country. He gave us the challenge to push them off their pedestal. I waned to see how he thought we did.

“LA did well I think. I can’t in all honesty say that LA beat Boston. I thought it was a valiant effort.”

I appreciate the honesty, maybe we can step it up next time! We went on to talk about the album he is on tour in support of, Tape Deck Heart. For the album, Frank joined forces with producer Rich Costey (Muse, NIN, My Chemical Romance). This was his first album recorded in Los Angeles, but the music retained its very English sound and vibe. He was skeptical about recording in LA and retaining the music had set out to create. Happily though, he succeeded.

“I was excited about it maybe a little nervous, but the end result was great! Rich is amazing youknow, he misses no detail. He got me and the guys in my band to get more blood, sweat andtears out of ourselves. It was more than we’d ever done before.”

Many of Frank’s songs are incredibly emotional and heartbreaking lyrically. They have a
beautiful juxtaposition with upbeat and bright music with dark and somber vocals.

“It’s been a good experience for the most part. I write professionally and I write autobiographically. It is an occupational hazard. It becomes a mix of honesty and catharsis.Yeah, you know there are moments where it can be tough to sing them but it’s you know, my job.”

Prior to this tour Frank played some once in a lifetime shows. Including headlining the UK’s
Wembley Arena, he also played the Open Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games. Of course the world was watching the very unique set.

“It was a weird show, you know I was playing on a hill to people pretending to play cricket and things like that. Danny Boyl was directing it and he was a fan and asked me to be involved and I said yes.”

Frank and his band are continuing their tour for quite some time and he has promised to come
back to southern California for more shows. If you were not lucky enough to make one of his
two sold out shows, I suggest you correct that at the earliest possible chance.